Key-carrying device



Feb. 15, 1944. l. JONES KEY-CARRYING DEVICE Original Filed April 9, 1940 ENVENTQR'. WALTER 1. doses, BY WMTTY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1944 KEY-CARRYING DEVICE Walter I. Jones, Belmont, Mass, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation,

Cambridge,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application April 9, 1940, Serial No. 328,728. Divided and this application February 15, 1943, Serial No.

2 Claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in key-carrying devices such as are commonly called key cases and which include an outer casing of leather or the like within which is located one or more elements for carrying lock keys and any other suitable devices.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 328,728, filed April 9, 1940.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional three-hook case with a portion thereof broken away to show a part of the key-supporting means in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the hardware of the key case in Various stages of assembly of the parts;

Fig.3 is a view showing a partial portion of the supporting plate, a section of one of the keyholder supporting members and a key-holder squeezed to a position for assembly with or disassembly from the key-holder supporting member;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of my improved key-holder in normal position;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the key-holder shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the key-holder supporting member per se;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7-1 of Fig. 2 showing the key-holder supporting member in the position of being snapped through an aperture in the plate;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line l-l of Fig. 2 showing the parts in final assembly;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the key-holder supporting member is made; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the blank with a portion broken away from which the key-holder is formed. a

My invention relates to that type of key container device which is so constructed that the key-holder together with any key, keys or other devices carried thereby may be removed from the part that supports the key-holder. Applicant is aware of the fact that such devices are not broadly new but he believes that his improved construction is much more simple to operate and less expensive in construction, with other decided advantages hereinafter to be described, and that he has made a distinct patentable advance in this particular art.

Referring to the specific form of my invention, I have shown a standard type of key case cover I of the folded-over flap construction held together by a snap fastener 2 of any suitable construction. The case I may be of leather, cloth or any suitable material. Within the case and preferably at the upper portion thereof I have attached a plate member 3 as by means of rivets 4 substantially as indicated in Fig. 1. This plate member 3 may be provided with any number of apertures 5 preferably surrounded by bosses 6, these bosses extending toward the front face of the plate as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. Thus far what I have described is old, but from this point on I believe my invention is new.

It has been the usual custom to provide a keyholder supporting member extending through an aperture 5m the plate 3 in swivel engagement with the plate. The construction of my keyholder supporting member 1 and the method of assembling it with the plate 3 is new so far as I am aware. As illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, my key-holder supporting member I is formed from sheet metal blanked out, as shown in Fig. 9, to provide a generally circular base portion 8 and a long tongue 9 connected to an inner circle of the base and formed to provide a loop l0 and a foot portion II. The foot portion II more or less completes the ring-like base, as shown in Fig. 6, and the loop portion I0 is made substantially in the form of a stud head so that it can be snapped through an aperture 5 from the rear side of the plate 3 as shown in Fig. 7. As the loop is forced through the aperture it is compressed (Fig. 7) since it is of greater distance across at one point than the diameter of the aperture 5. Then as it is forced all the way through the aperture (Fig. 8) the loop l0 resumes its normal size and is thereby held in assembly with the plate and the ring-like base 8 fits into the boss 6, as best illustrated in Fig. 8. Since the key-holder supporting member is formed from spring metal the loop portion is yieldable, particularly since the foot Il may move inwardly and outwardly quite freely. This construction of key-holder supporting member has the advantage of being light, strong, very easy to assemble with the plate, and therefore inexpensive, and provides a very smooth swivel action relative to the plate 3.

My key-holder I2 is of improved construction and is formed from a single piece of sheet sprin metal. It is preferably formed from ribbon stock and the blanks are punched out substantially as shown in Fig. 10 in such a manner as to leave a forked portion at one end and a. tongue at the other end, the tongue coming out of the next forked portion. The blank shown in Fig. 10 is bent at the mid-portion to form a loop [3 for one or more keys or the like and the ends are bent toward each other so as to cross as at M (Fig. 4) and finally the end portions are formed into hooks one of which I Will describe as a forked hook i5 and the other as a single hook it. These hooks cooperate in such a Way that they form an eye ll to receive the loop Ill of the key-holder supporting member I. My primary purpose is to provide a key-holder having two hook-shaped portions which may be moved relative to each other preferably by manipulation of the loop 13 so that the key-holder may be easily and quickly engaged with or disengaged from the key-holder supporting member. In the specific construction that I have illustrated wherein portions of the key-holder are crossed it is merely necessary to squeeze the loop portion [3 thus forcing the hooks l5 and 16 to assume positions as illustrated in Fig. 3. This will permit the loop I!) of the keyholder supporting member to pass between the ends of the hooks as illustrated and when the squeezing pressure is released the hooks will pass through the loop l and form an eye I! in swivel engagement with the 100p Iii, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus the key-holder may swing relative to the loop l0 and the loop Ii) may turn in the aperture relative to the plate 3 so that when a key carried by a key-holder is grasped it may be presented to the key-hole in a lock without it or the hardware of the case becoming tangled.

The crossing of portions of the key-holder, as well as the provision of the forked hook I5, is important. In the first place, if the crossed portion It is not provided on a key-holder of substantially applicants construction the holder may become inverted on the loop ID of the key-holder supporting member I. This crossed portion together with the forked formation of one of the hooks prevents such inverted relation due to the fact that a complete eye 11. is formed with no opportunity for the loop Ill to enter the loop l3. Another important advantage is the interlocking feature which takes place between the forked hook l5 and the single hook 16 as shown in Fig. 5. This interlocking prevents any appreciable movement of the hook members flatwise relative to each other thus preventing the key-holder from becoming accidentally unfastened by any twisting action that may take place between the hooks l5 and i3 and the loop l0 when a key on the keyholder is being manipulated relative to a lock. If this interlocking is not provided it is possible for a twisting action to spread the hooks flatwise sufficiently to permit the loop H] to slip out between them.

So far I have explained the advantages of my simple construction with respect to assembly, etc. It should also be noted that it is a very easy matter to assemble and disassemble a key relative to a key-holder. It is only necessary to spread the loop [3 of the key-holder 12 to force the hooks l5 and it apart so that one of the hooks may be inserted through the usual hole in a key and while the hooks are spread apart the key may pass down onto the loop l3. To disassemble the key from the key-holder it is merely necessary to hold the loop 13 in one hand and pull straight out on the end of the key with the other hand. During this action the key will automatically spread the hooks and it will become disassembled. Another and very simple way of assembling the key is to hold the loop portion l3 between the thumb and fore-finger of one hand and then with the key held in the other hand the end thereof near the hole in the key is pressed upon the back of one of the hooks of the forked hook I5 while the hook i6 is lifted thus spreading the hooks apart and permitting one of the hooks to enter the aperture in the key. It should, of course, be understood that when the key is being assembled with or disassembled from the key-holder that the key-holder is disassembled from the keyholder supporting member.

My invention is particularly desirable because a key-holder and its key or keys may be easily and quickly removed without disturbing any of the others as for instance when it is desired to loan the key or keys to someone. It is also important and desirable because it is easier to assemble the keys with a new case or disassemble them from a worn-out one than is possible with a conventional type of book which has been in common use and which is so stiff as to make the assembly and disassembly a difiicult task. Lastbut not least, the hardware parts, as shown in Fig. 2, are usually assembled at the point of manufacture and shipped to a leather goods manufacturer; therefore my improved constructions are so simple that the cost of the assembly of these parts has been considerably reduced over other well known types of constructions.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope thereof is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A key-carrying device including a supportin plate having an aperture therethrough, and a key-holder supporting member having a yieldable loop portion of larger diameter than the aperture in the support to permit it to be snapped through the aperture in said plate for ease in assembly of the parts.

2. A key-carrying device including a substantially flat supporting plate having an aperture therethrough. a key-holder supporting member having a base portion and a yieldable loop portion extending from said base portion at one side of said plate through said aperture and being presented at the opposite side of said plate, said loop portion having a free end portion adjacent said base, said loop being larger at its widest portion than the diameter of said aperture so as to compel compression of said loop as it is forced through said hole so as to .be self-assembled with said plate.

WALTER. I. JONES. 

